Pretoria - Cabinet has approved the transfer of the Department of Health’s shares in the Biological and Vaccines Institute (Biovac) of Southern Africa, to the Department of Science and Technology.
Biovac supplies high-quality, safe and effective vaccines to the public sector, and is a leading supplier of paediatric vaccines to government's Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
Through the Department of Science and Technology, government will now own 47.5% of Biovac shares, while 52.5% will be held by the Biovac Consortium.
Biovac is a public-private partnership between government and the Biovac Consortium.
Government shares comprised 12.5%, owned by the Department of Science and Technology and 35% was owned by Department of Health.
“The transfer of shares is a response to the concerns raised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that Department of Health in the current arrangement may be conflicted as it acted as a shareholder and a buyer.
“WHO requires the regulatory authority -- in this case, the Medicines Control Council, which is part of the Department of Health -- and its oversight role be separated from that of any manufacturer of medicine (Biovac in this case),” said a statement issued after Cabinet’s fortnightly meeting.
The transfer of shares from the Department of Health to Science and Technology will enable Biovac to export its manufactured products to countries that benefit from the WHO and UNICEF vaccines programmes. – SAnews.gov.za
